Sectional boat



April 25, 1944. w. A. sAwYER 2,347,510

sECTIoNAL BOAT Filed Oct. 14, 1942v 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 y Patented Apr. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE SECTIONAL BOAT Walter A. Sawyer, Cristobal, C. Z. Application October 14, 1942, Serial No. 462,006

4 Claims.

This invention relates to invasion or landing boats for military purposes, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which is of sectional construction to permit transportation thereof to be conveniently carried out and may be readily set up for use within a very short period of time and includes an improved means of detachably connecting the sections to permit easy and quick assembling and disassembling of the sections and will provide leak-proof joints between the sections when assembled.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating a sectional boat constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illus trating the boat.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the means of detachably connecting the Sections and providing leakproof joints between the sections.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating the connection of several sections together.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing a plurality of sections prior to being connectedc Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view partly broken away showing a pair of the sections detachably connected in such a way as to establish leak-proof connection between the sections.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a combined clamping and sealing strip.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates as an entirety a sectional boat especially adapted for military purposes, that is, a boat which can be knocked down and transported with ease and readily set up when needed for use. Further, it is to be understood that a boat of this kind will be especially adaptable for landing troops for invasion purposes or for transporting troops across small bodies of water. The general shape of the boat may be varied to meet With various needs. In the present showing the boat 5 includes a bottom, sides and upwardly inclined ends taking on a general barge shape.

The sides, bottom and ends of the boat are constructed from a plurality of plates 6 preferably of metallic construction, and each plate has formed on its edges thereof a plurality of spaced tongues 'i and slots 8 are arranged therein opposite the spaces between the tongues. The tongues 1 have hook-shaped ends S. Said hookshaped ends S of the tongues of one plate are adapted to enter the slots of the adjacent plate when the plates are brought in boat-forming position with the tongues of the plates interfitting.

In order to bring the tongues 9 of the plates into the slots the plates are arranged in angular position with respect to each other and then moved into a plane common to the plates coupled to one another. The largest number of plates will be of substantially rectangular shape while some of the plates will be of L-shape as shown in Figure 3 to provide connection between the sides and bottom of the boat. There will be a limited number of plates of substantially triangular shape as shown in Figure 2.

The plates adjacent to the slots upon their outer faces and paralleling the edges thereof are provided with grooves i6 and adjacent the grooves With hook-shaped ribs li. The ribs l! are spaced away from the edges of the plates so that when said plates are coupled together there will be arranged pairs of hook-shaped ribs in opposed relation to each other to be engaged by exible metallic connecting strips i2. Each connecting strip l2 is of elongated formation and transversely curved and provided with hookshaped edges I3 to engage or interfit with the hook-shaped ribs I I.

In applying the strips i2 to the ribs the strips are flexed and slid onto the ribs endwise and when pressure is released, due to the flexibility and curvature of the plates the hook-shaped edges i3 thereof will be caused to tightly t the hook-shaped ribs il.

Each strip l2 is partly embedded within an elastic covering strip I4, the edges of Which eX- tend beyond the hook-shaped edges I3 of the strip ifi* and are received tightly Within the grooves It. The covering strips Iii fitting tightly in the grooves I0 Will prevent leakage through the joints of the plates.

This construction of joining the plates together will permit said plates to be easily detached whenever desired and when assembled the joints between said plates will prevent the boat from leaking.

While I have shown and described the pre-v ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a boat, a hull including a plurality of metallic plates, spaced tongues formed on the edges of said plates and the latter provided with slots aligning with the spaces between the tongues, said plates adapted to be brought together with the tongues interi'ltting, projections on the tongues fitting in the slots, and sealing. means overlying the tongues and detachably connected to the plates.

2. In a boat, a hull including a plurality of metallic plates, spaced tongues formed on the edges of the plates and the latter provided with slots, the tongues of one plate adapted to interlock with the tongues of the adjacent plates, said tongues having projections to iit in the slots, hook-shaped ribs formed on the plates, and exible sealing strips having hook-shaped edges engaging the hook-shaped ribs.

3. In a boat, a hull including a plurality of metallic plates, spaced tongues formed on the edges of the plates and the latter provided with slots, the tongues of one plate adapted to interlock with the tongues of the adjacent plates, said tongues having projections to fit in the slots, hook-shaped ribs formed on the plates, ilexible sealing strips having hook-shaped edges engaging the hook-shaped ribs, and elastic sealing strips having said rst-named strips partly embedded therein and having opposite edges projecting beyond the hook-shaped edges of the irst strips to contact the plates.

4. In a boat, a hull including a plurality of metallic plates, spaced tongues formed on the edges of the plates and the latter provided with slots, the tongues of one plate adapted to interlock with the tongues of th'e adjacent plates, said tongues having projections lto fit in the slots, hook-shaped ribs formed on the plates, flexible sealing strips having hook-shaped edges engaging vthe hook-shaped ribs, elastic sealing strips having said first-named strips partly embedded therein and having opposite edges projecting beyond the hook-shaped edges of the rst-named strips to contact the plates, said plates having grooves located adjacent the'hook-shaped ribs and receiving the edges of the elastic sealing strips.

WALTER A. SAWYER 

